Jonathan Ross next Friday

[Gary2880]

Just had to be one with Attenborough that gets cancelled. :mad:

Andrew Sachs did more for the bbc and british comedy than those 2 hapless morons could ever hope to achive combined.

Maybe 2 episodes of fawlty towers could be shown in friday night with a big headed tit's place.

[James]

Well Brand has quit BBC Radio 2, and Ross is currently suspended. So no shows from either of them for now!

[James]

Well Ross has been suspended for three months, so no Radio 2 collecting for me..

TV's Jonathan Ross has been suspended from all BBC shows without pay for 12 weeks following the prank calls row.

Director general Mark Thompson called Ross's actions "utterly unacceptable", adding that "it cannot be allowed to go uncensured or without sanction".

The controller of BBC Radio 2, Lesley Douglas, resigned over the broadcasts involving Ross and Russell Brand.

Ms Douglas said the decision to leave her job was "mine and mine alone" and was made with "enormous regret".

Thompson met with the BBC Trust for several hours on Thursday to discuss the crisis over lewd phone calls made to actor Andrew Sachs during Russell Brand's Radio 2 programme.

On-air apology

The Trust has said there will be an on-air apology for calls and called for editorial controls in the BBC to be tightened.
Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross have been at the centre of the row

In a statement issued after their meeting with Thompson, the Trust said it was "dismayed" that the broadcasts "fell so far short of audience expectations".

It said there had been a "deplorable intrusion" into the privacy of Mr Sachs and his granddaughter."

They issued an unreserved apology to licence fee payers, as well as to the Fawlty Towers actor and his family.

'Painful week'

Ms Douglas, who took up her post as controller in 2003, said: "I am proud of what we have achieved together over the years and I shall miss you all."

She admitted in her resignation letter that it had been a "painful week" for Radio 2.

In his response, Thompson said the decision had been accepted with "real sadness".

[Shambler]

I can't stand either of them, especially Brand. He's just a hairy fool who goes beyond the limits of distaste. I don't find him funny, and he comes across so egotistical that he's just downright sickening.

Hopefully the BBC will get someone talented in his place!

[brighton_4eva]

Well Said Shambler.

[osiris]

I like both Brand and Jonathan Ross. Though their paychecks are rather larger, they're not exactly huge comparative to other celebrities, are they?

Sticking this on the two of them is ridiculous, when more than two people were envolved. Someone sanctioned this to go out on air and it shouldn't have been, though saying that, it's exactly the type of thing Russell does normally, I think the main reason people have taken offence was that it was on Radio 2, a station not normally known for its lewdness. The two broadcasters apologised to the family, and Sachs accepted those apologies. Georgina Bailey, frankly, has gotten a sack load of publicity out of it (she's actually sold her "story" to the Sun). I don't see why this has gotten this far. Why did Gordon Brown stick his oar in?

[Shambler]

I think Georgina had to tell her side of the story as she was directly implicated in the call. I also don't think it can just be put down to it being Radio 2 - it's simply uncouthed to phone an respectable, elderly gentleman up and make fun about his death, and having slept with his granddaughter. That's just sick. But I agree with you on the point that the producers and controllers also had a part to play in it all.

[Gary2880]

Thompson said Ross's three-month suspension was "an exceptional step". It is believed the suspension of pay will cost the entertainer more than £1 million.

The poor soul. He may go hungry, we should put together a care package to help him get by

a million quid every 3 months for being gobby? Why am i not rolling in cash?!

[amyfairycakes]

I agree that what both said was despicable, and that action was necessary, but I do think the reaction and the punishments have been excessive.
I also think that Mr. Sach's granddaughter, a member of a group Satanic Sluts, has behaved in an extremely tacky way throughout this debacle. She had no reason to sell her story to a tabloid, and I believe the only reason she is doing so, is to get her fifteen minutes of fame.
Andrew Sachs on the other hand, has acted like a perfect gentlemen during what must be a traumatic situation for him.
A more fitting punishment for Brand and Ross would perhaps have been to have donated their paychecks to some of Mr. Sach's favourite charities. That way, at least some good would come out of it.

[autoland]

It's quite a lot more then this, Brand (who should be publicly flogged) phoned Mr Sachs up more then once, and on the 2nd or 3rd, call, he said to Andrew,"the older man, may kill himself") just added salt to the wounds.

What would any of us expect, if this had happen, to our elderly Granddad/Grandma/Uncle/aunt.
I think we would, ask the police, to give them, the worst punishment going. What a couple of useless twits!!! And what about Mr Ross, who gets his very high paid Soilicators To fire off letters, left right and center, to any wind of anything about him.

He does not mind dashing it out, but he cannot take it, he has sued before.

COME ON MR ROSS, NOW YOU CAN SUE ME, FOR SAYING THE ABOVE, YOU IDOIT OF NOTHING.